United was a major proponent of airline deregulation in the 1970s and would ultimately benefit from the post-deregulation decline of Pan American World Airways acquiring Pan Am’s Pacific route authority in 1985, its London Heathrow operation in 1991, and its Latin America and Caribbean routes, along with its Miami gates, in 1992.

As part of its hub-and-spoke transport model, United currently operates eight hubs:[11] United Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance that has 25 member airlines that operate a combined fleet of over 5,000 aircraft, with more than 19,000 flights, serving more than 1,300 airports with access to over 1,000 lounges in 195 countries.

[20] Since 2021, United has placed orders for over 500 narrow-body and 150 wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliners as part of its strategy, which also includes retiring older mainline aircraft and at least 200 single-class regional jets.

Passengers receive priority boarding and baggage handling, free alcoholic beverages, complimentary meals on longer flights and may use separate check-in desks.

[37][38] On flights with meal service, passengers are served a snack and beverage shortly after takeoff, followed by a main course and dessert.

[48] United Airlines headquarters are located at the Willis Tower, 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois.

[53] In 2019 United renewed its lease at Willis Tower, originally ending in 2028 and now set to expire in 2033, and plans to construct a roof deck and a 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) dining hall on the fourth floor.

[54] The former headquarters campus at Elk Grove Township was gradually annexed into the Village of Mount Prospect,[55][56] and serves as an IT operations facility, with a new 172,000 sq ft (16,000 m2) data center constructed in 2013.

[57] United maintains a large presence in downtown Houston, having leased 225,000 sq ft (20,900 m2) of space (seven floors) for occupancy in 2017.

The pre-merger United logo, commonly nicknamed the "tulip", was developed in the early 1970s by the designer Saul Bass as part of a new brand image.

[59] United's earliest slogan, "The Main Line Airway", emphasized its signature New York-Chicago-San Francisco route, and was replaced in 1965 with "Fly the Friendly Skies", which was in use until 1996 in its first iteration.

[69] This shift not only streamlines the flight process but also significantly enhances operational efficiency and safety by ensuring pilots have the most up-to-date information readily available.

Once the SSWs are installed, it is estimated that APB's winglet technology will save United more than $250 million annually in fuel costs.

Fulcrum's alternative fuel is produced through a clean and efficient thermochemical process and reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 80 percent.

[73] In 2016, United began partnering with Clean the World to repurpose items from the airline's international premium class amenity kits and donate the hygiene products to those in critical need.

Clean the World provides hygiene education and soap to promote handwashing, which helps prevent hygiene-related deaths.

[74] In 2017 United started a partnership with Audubon International to protect raptors—including hawks, ospreys and owls—in and around New York-area airports and resettle the birds-of-prey at suitable golf course habitats where the species are more likely to thrive.

[82] ALPA was founded by United Air Lines Captain David L. Behncke and 23 other key figures in Chicago, Illinois, on July 27, 1931.

[83] In the 1930s, flying was a perilous occupation; thus, from the time of its formation to today, one of ALPA's main goals is to improve air safety.

Prior to takeoff, an investment banker became disruptive after consuming two glasses of champagne, began threatening crew members and attempted to pour his own drinks, against airline and federal regulations.

[125][126] A request to divert to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was denied due to the security risks created by the presence of the President of Portugal Mário Soares, Argentinian foreign minister Guido di Tella and their security details on the flight.

He later pleaded guilty to the latter charge and was fined $5,000 (having previously agreed to reimburse the airline for its cleanup costs and all the other passengers their airfare, which amounted to nearly $50,000) and given two years' probation.

[137] United awarded airline miles as "bug bounties" to hackers who could identify gaps in the carrier's web security.

In addition to the "bug bounty" program, United said it tests systems internally and engages cybersecurity firms.

[141] The Washington Post highlighted how DataSpii resulted in the dissemination United passenger information including last names and flight confirmation numbers.

[143] DataSpii harvested data from millions of Chrome and Firefox users through compromised browser extensions, exploiting United's method of embedding personally identifiable information (PII) directly within the URLs.

[144] On the evening of April 9, 2017, a passenger was forcibly removed by law enforcement from United Airlines flight 3411 at Chicago-O'Hare, bound for Louisville.

[147] The incident was captured on smartphone cameras and posted on social media, triggering angry public backlash.

Afterwards, United's then-chief executive officer, Oscar Munoz, described Dao as "disruptive and belligerent", apologized for "re-accommodating" the paying customers, and defended and praised staff for "following established procedures".

In the aftermath, United's board of directors decided that Munoz would not become its chairman and that executive compensation would be tied to customer satisfaction.